By Canadian Press

Sturko refuses to meet former police board vice-chair, defying B.C. Opposition leader

Dec 10, 2024 | 10:00 AM

VANCOUVER — B.C. Conservative public safety critic Elenore Sturko is refusing to meet a former Vancouver Police Board vice-chair in defiance of the wishes of party leader John Rustad and a group of colleagues, who have backed the woman over controversial social media posts.

Sturko says in an interview she’s not “challenging” Rustad, but it’s “disappointing” he didn’t tell her he was going to publicly post on social media that he met Comfort Sakoma-Fadugba, and Sturko should too.

Rustad says in the post late Monday that Sakoma-Fadugba is a “wonderful person” who is “proudly Christian” and she shouldn’t have been asked to quit, sharing a photo of the pair smiling together.

Sturko reportedly told the CBC that Sakoma-Fadugba’s resignation last month was appropriate, and she had made online comments that were offensive, including to the transgender community.

Sturko says in an interview she doesn’t intend letting the issue harm her working relationship with her colleagues or Rustad, and she will meet him in Victoria today.

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Former RCMP officer Sturko’s defection to the Conservatives ahead of the B.C. election was a pivotal moment for the party and Rustad’s efforts to create what he called a “big tent” party.

But tensions within the party were exposed by various responses to Sakoma-Fadugba’s exit from the police board. Her posts on Instagram had included remarks about the impact of multiculturalism on “Canadian values.”

Sturko says she knew when she joined the party there would be differences of opinion but she has “no desire to deepen any real or perceived rift” within the caucus.

“Not seeing that post (by Rustad) before it went up was disappointing, but it hasn’t taken away from my desire to continue working with John to improve our province,” she said.

“I think that having challenges (is) part of what it means to be in a caucus with a diversity of views in it. It’s unfortunate that it spilled over into the public realm, because it gives people at least a perception that could be negative,” she said.

Sturko says diversity within the caucus is “great,” calling the differences of opinion a “distraction.”

The row became public last week when journalist Jas Johal posted a letter on social media that was signed by 13 Conservative MLAs calling for a “written apology” from Sturko to Sakoma-Fadugba.

The document posted by Johal says Sakoma-Fadugba expressed the views of many Conservatives, and if Sturko didn’t apologize and meet her then Rustad should.

Johal said on social media late Monday he had been threatened by a former Conservative candidate and he was reporting the matter to police.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 10, 2024.

Brieanna Charlebois, The Canadian Press